Alison Owen and Debra Hayward have projects set up with Prime Video, Netflix, Universal and Studiocanal among others
Need to know: 2024 marked 10 years since Monumental was launched by Ruby Films founder Alison Owen and former Working Title executive Debra Hayward, with the company working extensively across film and television in that time.
On the film side, Owen and Hayward choose their projects in partnership, then typically work on them separately, with input from the other as needed. Owen produced Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Amy Winehouse film Back To Black starring Marisa Abela and Jack O’Connell, which topped the UK-Ireland box office on its way to $16.6m in the territory. Hayward recently made thriller The Woman In Cabin 10 starring Keira Knightley, which launched on Netflix last month. Monumental has made or is making films set up with Amazon, Netflix, Sony, Universal, Lionsgate and Studiocanal; while also originating and developing its own projects.
TV is an equal part of the company’s output, with Monumental Television owned by ITV Studios and making regular international co-productions. Credits include five seasons of supernatural British sitcom Ghosts from 2019 to 2023; and miniseries including crime thriller Frauds, which launched on ITV last month.
Key personnel: Alison Owen, Debra Hayward, partners; Alison Carpenter, chief creative officer; Katie Kelly, head of television.
Incoming: Features include Love And Other Scams, in development with Amazon, adapted by Dan Mazer from PJ Ellis’ novel about two grifters who pretend to be a couple in order to pull off a diamond heist. Sharon Maguire will direct The Joy Of Sex, the story of the making of the groundbreaking sex manual. Monumental is also working on projects with Josie Rourke and Sam Taylor-Johnson amongst others.
TV works include season two of Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale, airing on Sundance Now and AMC in January 2026; and season three of The Marlow Murder Club, airing in March 2026. As well as further Ghosts adventures, Monumental is developing TV projects with writers including Vanessa Alexander, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Abi Morgan, Anna Waterhouse and Joe Shrapnel, Rob Wade and Neil Purvis, Anne-Marie O’Connor and actresses including Suranne Jones, Romola Garai, Lesley Manville and Susan Sarandon.
Alison Owen says: “We’re like a married couple – we don’t both go off and do a film at the same time. Someone’s got to man the ship on the TV side.”
Debra Hayward says: “One of us always has to be looking after the company. We’ve had to really train our TV muscle over those years. You have to think harder about what you’re doing film-wise.”
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